Driving mechanism for talking-machines.



H. ROSENBAUM.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2-], 1916.

Patented June 26, 1917.

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APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21.1916.

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Patented June 26, 1917.

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HELLMUTI-I ROSENBAUM, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR TALKING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1217.

Application filed October 21, 1916. Serial No. 126,986.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HELLMUTH ROSEN- BAUM, a citizen of Germany, andresident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDrivingMechanisms for Talking- Machines, of which the following is afull, clear, and complete specification, being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a sectional view on line 11, indicated inFig. 2, showing the driving mechanism in front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22, indicated in Fig. 1, showing the,driving mechanism in side elevation;

Fig.3.is a fractional top view of a. talking machine;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 44, in .dicated in Fig. 1, andshowing a top view of the driving mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a fractional sectional view on line 55, indicated in Fig. 3,detail (drawn on an enlarged scale) showing the indicator, and thebraking mechanism combined therewith.

The springactuated mechanisms for driving the record disk of a talkingmachine are subject to the defect, that notwithstanding the meansprovided for regulating the speed, there is always a variation in thespeed, resulting from the variation in the propulsive forceof thespring, which the regulating devices are not capable of overcoming. Byreason thereof the speed of the disk is noticeably greater at the startand correspondingly diminished toward the end, as the spring is more andmore unwound. While this variation of speed does not very seriouslyafiect the reproduction of the ordinary songs or musical renditions, thereproductions of finer instrumental music, for'instance, instrumentalsolos, are detrimentally affected thereby.

The object of my invention is to eliminate this defect, and to provide adriving mechanism having a constant speed, slower or faster, as themechanism may be adjusted, from the start to the end. The further objectof my invention is to provide a driving mechanism for talking machines,which ismore capable of being regulated according to the requirements ofthe song or musical composition, or instrumental rendition. To this end,my inven reference tion consists of the driving mechanism, in which asuspended weight is utilized for its motive force, and means areprovided for maintaining a' constant speed, whether slower or faster, asthe rendition of a song, or of instrumental music, may require.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating an embodiment of my invention,the numeral 7 designates the main shaft, whereon a gearwheel 8 isloosely mounted, the tape or rope pulley 11, and the ratchet wheel 9,being fixed thereto. Shaft T is journaled in bearings 10, provided in,or aflixed to, one in the front wall 12, and the other in the partitionwall 13,- of the box of the talking machine, the two walls, inconjunction with the top plate 14 and the bottom plate 15, forming acasing, in which the driving mechanism is inclosed. An intermediateshaft 16 is similarly mounted in bearings set also in the front wall 12and the partition wall 13 of the box of the machine, and the pinion 17,meshing with the cog-wheel 8, and the cog-wheel 18 meshing with thepinion 19, are fixed thereto. Pinion 19 is fixed to the driven shaft 20,having one end mounted in a bearing set in the front wall 12 of themachine, and the other, inner end, in the bearing 21 secured to the topplate 14 of the machine, as shown in Fig. 2. A bevel gear 22 is afiixedto this inner end of the shaft 20. This gear meshes with the bevel gear28, fixed to the inwardly projecting end of the stud or vertical shaft24, rotatably mounted in the bearing 25, fixed in the top plate 14 ofthe box of the machine. The plate 26, supporting the record disk 27 isaffixed to the upwardly projecting end of the stud 24, and means areprovided for fixing the record plate thereon.

The. weight 28, actuating the driving mechanism is connected by tape 29with the pulley 11, and a crank 30, having a handle 31 afiixed to itsfree end, is fitted upon the squared end of the shaft 7 to enable thisshaft to be turned so as to raise the weight 28 preparatory to startingthe driving mechanism in action. Instead of squaring the end of shaft 7,and providing a correspond ing bore in the hub of the crank 30, theshaft may be left round and a pin set thereon to engage with a recessorcam, pro vided on the hub of the crank 30. to enable the shaft 7 to berotated by moving the crank in one direction, id cat, when the tape 29is to be wound up on the pulley 11,

and to permit its reverse rotating when the weight 28 is unwinding thetape in driving the mechanism, while the crank stands still.

The ratchet wheel 9 with the pawl 32, pivoted to the cog-wheel 8, andpressed against the ratchet wheel 9 by the spring 331, constitute thecoupling, whereby the cog-wheel 8 is made to rotate with the shaft 7,when the driving mechanism operates, as hereinbefore ex lained. Thiscog-wheel 8 meshes with the pinion 17 fixed on the shaft 16, whereonalso the cog-wheel 18 is fixe l. The latter meshes with the pinion 19,fixed on the driving shaft 20, and thereby this driving shaft isrotated. The bevel gear 22, meshing with the bevel gear 23, transmitsthis rotary motion of the shaft 20 to the plate 26, whereon the recorddisk 27 is fixed. The several parts of the driving mechanism are soproportioned to each other, that four turns of the shaft 7 produce threehundred revolutions of the shaft 20 (and of the plate 26 and disk 27)which is considered sufficient for theplaying of all records of theordinary size.

The speed. regulating device is shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and isconstructed as follows:

A stationary collar 33 is fixed to the shaft 20, and a sliding collar34, connected to the stationary collar 33 by flexible links 35,

made of tempered springs or in the form of toggle joints, is slidablymounted on the flanged stationary sleeve 37. The weights 36 are securedto-the links 35 approximately midway between their ends, or in theapexes of their pivotal joints. The extent of the sliding motion of thecollar 34 is limited by the flange 38 on the stationary sleeve 37, withwhich the collar 34 comes in frictional contact when, by the rotating ofthe shaft 20 and the centrifugal force thus on the weights 28, thejoints of the links 35 are drawn out.

For varying the tempo in playing diverse records a brake mechanism isconnected with the indicator 39, mounted on the top plate of the box ofthe machine. This brake mechanism is shown in enlarged detail in Fig. 5,and comprises the flanged pulley 40, fixed to the shaft 20, thescrew-threaded stem 41, .to which the brake arms 42 are connected asshown in the aforementioned Fig. 5, and the interiorly screw-threadedsleeve 43,

which is rotatably set in the plate 44, se-

cured to the top plate 14 of the box of the machine, and is held by.itagainst vertical movement. The pointer 39 is integral with the sleeve43, or rigidly fixed thereto, and, by turniiig the sleeve 43, the stem41, which is in screw-tln'eaded engagement therewith, but held againstturning by the engagement of the brake arms 42 between the flanges ofthe brake pulley 40, is raised or lowered correspondingly, according toin which direction the sleeve 43 is turned. For better convenience aknob 45 is formed on the upper end of the sleeve 43, and the letters Sand F are engraved on the plate 44 indicating slow and fastrespectively, and the pointer 39 shows in which direction the sleeve 43(or knob 45) is to be turned, when slower or faster playing is desired.The brake arms 42 contact with the face of the brake pulley 40, more sowhen the sleeve 43 is turned to the left (toward the letter S) the stem41 being thereby projected from the sleeve, to exert a stronger brakingaction. lVhen the sleeve 43 is turned to the right (toward the letter F)the stem 41- is receded into the sleeve 43, and the pressure of thebrake arms 42 on the pulley 40 is released.

The mechanism for stopping the plate 26 (and the record disk 27 fixedthereon) when the record is played out, is devised for the purpose ofeffecting a gradual stopping of the mechanism, and to prevent a shockand the attendant vibration, which would otherwise occur in consequenceof abruptly stopping its motion. This stopping mechanism is constructedas follows:

A crank lever 46 is pivoted on stud 47, secured to the top plate 14 ofthe box of the machine, as shown in Fig. 3. One arm of this lever 46 isshaped to receive the frictional block 48, preferably made of rubber,and the arm is shaped, and thepivot 47 so located, that the frictionalblock 48 may be moved to and from the periphery of the plate 26 by acomparatively short motion of the other arm of the crank lever 46. Asecond bell crank lever 49 is pivoted at 50 in the lug 51, affixed tothe underside of the plate 14, and one arm of this lever 49 projectsthrough the slot 52, provided in the plate 1.4, and also in the topplate 53 (see Fig. 3). This arm of lever 49 contacts with the longer armof lever 46, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The other, horizontally disposedarm of the lever 49 is pivotally connected with the rod 54, (see Fig. 1)terminating into a treadle or abutment 56. Rod 54 passes through thebore 55 of the weight 23, and when the weight 28, sliding on the rod 54,comes in contact with the treadle 56 at the end of its descent, it actson the treadle 56 and then the rod 54 pulls down the horizontal arm ofthe bell crank lever 49 against the resistance of the spring 57. Therebythe vertical arm of the lever 49, projecting through the slot 52, pushesagainst the longer arm of lever 46 and the frictional block 48 is movedtoward, and pressed against, the periphery of the disk 26. The

extent, before the treadle 56 is depressed to the level of the partition15 of the box, and consequently, also the pressure of the friction block48 on the periphery of the disk 26. Thereby a gradual and completestopping of the actuating mechanism and of the disk 26 is effectedbefore the motor is run down entirely.| Springs 57 (see Fig. 1) and 58,connecting respectively the arms of the levers 49 and &6 to the fixedpins 60 and (51, maintain also the lever 46 in the position shown inFig. 3 (away from the periphery of the plate 26) and raise the treadle56 from the bottom plate 15 of the box of the machine, when the drivingmechanism is again wound up, as explained above. The springs 57 and 58counteract, to a sufiicient extent, the action ofthe weight 28 upon thetreadle 56, whereby the retarding action of the friction block 48 uponthe periphery of the plate 26 is graduated. They thus assist ineffecting the above explained purpose of the stopping device. \Vhen theWeight 28 is raised from the treadle 56, the springs 57 and 58 raise thetreadle 56 and return the bell crank levers 46 and 4:9 to their normalposition, withdrawing the friction block 48 from the periphery of thedisk 26, which is then free again to rotate, when the driving mechanismis set inoperation, as above described.

I claim as my invention 1. A driving mechanism for talking machines,comprising a motor'operated by a weight; a stud rotatably mounted in thetop plate of the box of the talking machine, means operativelyconnecting the stud with the motor, and a support for securing a recorddisk thereto; a stopping device mounted on the top plate of the box inposition to engage the support of the record disk, and means foroperating the stopping device by the weight which actuates the drivingmechanism before the motor is run down; substantially as herein shownand described.

2. A. driving mechanism for talking machines, comprising a motoroperated by a a weight; a stud rotatably mounted in the top plate of thebox of the talking machine; a plate fixed thereon; a bell crank leverfulcrumed on the to plate of the box in position to engage theplateaflixed to the stud; means for yieldingly holding the lever awayfrom the plate, and automatic means, actuated by the weight operatingthe motor, for moving the lever and pressing it against the edge of theplate mounted on the stud, immediately before the motor is run down;substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination with the driving mechanism for talking machines,designed to be actuated by a weight, of stop mechanism for the rotatablesupport of the disk, the stop mechanism comprising a bell crank leverpivoted to the top plate of the box of the machine in proximity to therotatable support, whereon the record is secured; a frictional blocksecured to one arm of the bell crank lever; a slot in the top plate ofthe box, a lug aflixed to the underside of the top plate adjoining theslot; a bell crank lever pivoted in the lug and having one armprojecting through the slot to engage the other armof the bell cranklever mounted on the top plate; a rod pivotally connected to the otherarm of the bell crank lever; an abutment on the other end of the rod, inposition to be engaged by the weight, and springs connected to the armsof the levers and set to draw the levers into their normal position, inwhich the friction block is withdrawn from contact with the rotatabledisk support, when the weight acting on the abutment is raised;substantially as herein shown and described.

HELLMUTH ROSENBAUM.

Witnesses PAULA Barns, LoUIsE KELLER.

